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My neighbor's kid asked why I always tell people to restart first, and it got me stuck.
I was fixing his gaming PC, a CyberPower model, and said the usual line about restarting. He just looked at me and asked, 'But if you already know that fixes it, why do you charge to find out?' I told him diagnostics take time, even for simple checks. Now I'm wondering if we should just be more upfront about that step from the start. How do you guys handle setting those expectations with new clients?
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dianaanderson1mo ago
My buddy had a client get mad about a diagnostic fee for a simple reboot fix. He started listing the reboot as a separate line item on estimates after that.
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the_amy1mo ago
Honestly, did listing it as a separate line actually stop the complaints from clients?
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masongonzalez1mo ago
Separate line item for a reboot" is the kind of petty I can get behind. It's like charging someone a "standing up" fee after you hand them their lost keys off the floor. @the_amy, I bet it didn't stop the complaints, but it probably made the invoice funnier to read. Now they get to see "Professional System Reinitialization: $50" right above "Actual Fix: $0". It turns the bill into a story about why they're paying for your time, not just the button press.
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